SHILLONG, Oct 14: The Voice of the People (VPP) on Friday said the state government’s move to repeal the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act (MRGA), 2021 through an ordinance would be nothing but an eyewash.
“Repealing of the Gaming Act, 2021 through the Ordinance route would be nothing but an eyewash,” VPP vice president Dr KH Shen said in a statement.
“This amounts to fooling the people of the state as unless approved by the Assembly within six months the ordinance would cease to operate thereby the Gaming Act stand revived and re-operationalised,” he said.
This came a day after the Taxation Minister James K Sangma announced the government’s decision to scrap the MRGA, 2021 following stiff opposition from church leaders, pressure groups and other stakeholders.
“If the announcement is well intended; a special session of the Assembly has to be convened specifically to repeal the Act. But this entails unnecessary and wasteful spending of public money which this government could have easily avoided had they been competent, prudent and sagacious enough in making public policy,” he said.
Congratulating the people of the state for the success in forcing the MDA government in making a public declaration that the Gaming Act be repealed, the VPP leader said this exemplifies the importance of the role played by conscious and conscientious citizens in democracy that hold the government of the day accountable to the people.
